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Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The Mystery Of The Geese

Yesterday I gave you an unexpected update on the nesting goose I've been telling you about for awhile now. In the update we all finally got to see the little hatchlings. I also told you that I knew these were indeed the right geese. But how did I know?

If you think about it there could be any number of geese that these could be. The fact is that there was another family of geese out there on that lake too. I’ve been coming to this nature park almost every day for awhile now, so I know that there have only been these two goose families.

The other family are at least a few weeks older than the geese that hatched out of the eggs I saw, so they must be a little bigger than my update hatchlings. In fact this is that other family in these pictures. You would have to compare them together to see the difference but let’s see what I have.

What I have is pictures of them all together. I’ll only show you one of those here because I have limited space to post them, and if you look closely the picture quality is not as good as I really want it to be. I’ll discuss that last part in another post. Maybe some of you will find it interesting.

Anyway, you can see the older family of geese happily swimming on the water. They’re right out in front of the picture. The goslings are quite a bit bigger than the ones I showed you yesterday. There’s something interesting about that too, and I’ll show that to you another time too.

If you look way in the back at the shore, you will see my nesting goose and her happy family taking a break from the water. It was only for a short time and they were soon swimming again. None of this is the full story though. So what could be the final part of this mystery?

The final part of this mystery is the fact that these two families are all swimming together now. The families are still separate but the two families seemed to have formed a flock together. They were in the water together, and when they decided to go back to land they did that together too.

I watched as the nesting goose family waddled back to the shore with the older family courteously following behind. They all made their way up the hill together to their home at the top. The older family took their place where they have lived for awhile now, and the nesting family were next to them on the other side of a bush.

I took some more pictures while they settled in, and then I finally realized there would be no more action so I moved on looking for more interesting discoveries. A new flock has been formed. Maybe I’ll get some closer pictures next time. I’ll be watching both families.

It sounds like you have done a lot of research into these two families.Perhaps they have a discussion about who this Ratty person is and theorize about where you come from, too....you never know what those geese conversations are about...

It's hard to reconcile the beauty of the Canada goose with the reality that they are a sad nuisance to many. It is a pity that they have become so non-migratory. At one time it was a treat to see them coming through. That said, there is something irresistible about watching a flock with babies. Their familial habits are very endearing. They pair up strongly, and if a mate should die, the remaining mate seems to pine for a while for the lost partner. Very touching. Cheers, Diane Tucker, Estate Naturalist, Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington, CT

oh wow, i did not expect to get more, what a pleasant surprise, i totally love to see the first picture, maybe because it is the first picture that greeted me, wow, merging of two families, it is very inspiring.

Icy BC - I hope I can see this new flock a few more times before they're ready to move on.-

Rainfield - That is why I don't try too much to feed them or be their friend. They should be free.-

The Retired One - Those geese probably wonder why that crazy human is stalking them.-

Diane T. - Here in Michigan they're considered pests by many. We have a huge population of them. I'm glad the bad aspects of these geese doesn't really effect me. They are usually in a nature preserve when I see them.-

Poetic Shutterbug - There will definitely be more stories of them. I have something very interesting about them coming up.-

Ellen - I'm kind of surprised myself. These geese have been in close proximity to each other all along though.-

Betchai - That's why I usually try to make the first picture one of the best. It doesn't always work that way, but I usually try. I took a lot of pictures of them, so I hope to show even more.-

SquirrelQueen - I have at least one more story about this encounter. It's an interesting subject for me. I hope you will like it too.

Hi Ratty- How can I have missed visiting for 3 days? Wow. The geese are great. I've often noticed multiple families guarding the babies all together. More "flying rats." Hahahaha (I don't hate them that much, really, but in some places there really are so many that you can't even walk around where they have been... pretty gross.)

Glynis - I really like these geese. They're almost like pets for me now.-

Sharkbytes - We all need a break now and then. I know exactly what you mean about the geese. I should talk about their negative side a little more often. The viewing area where I got these pictures is covered pretty much too.

The Everyday Adventurer

Everyday and every day are commonly confused in English. There’s no difference in pronunciation, but using the wrong one when writing is a mistake in the everyday English language you use every day.

EverydayEveryday is an adjective that means commonplace, ordinary, or normal.

Example: These shoes are great for everyday wear.

Every DayEvery day means "each day."

Example: I go to the park every day.

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I Am The Everyday Adventurer

I am The Everyday Adventurer and I will take you on a journey through nature trails, local places, shops, bridges, parks, hiking, and other adventures. We'll get stranded on a deserted island, and find the way back to civilization. Learn what it's like to get caught in a winter blizzard. See photos of falling snow. A bridge to another world. Hidden rivers, and lakes. A creepy swamp. Wild animals, and strange plants. Who knows? You could discover your own everyday fun. This is a tour of the unknown and magical. We'll travel to Wonderland and back. You'll see the rabbit and the blue caterpillar. You'll even meet Alice. A trip through lost and hidden places. You'll see strange oddities that are rare and wondrous. How about a weird arcade of the bizarre? Or a look through time and history? It's all here. The world waits for you! So look around, and be amazed!